Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

BA 206 – Management Fundamentals (Online) with Dr. Michael Hohn

Looking for a management class that feels real, practical, and focused on your growth as a leader? That’s what this course is designed to do.

How the online class works
This section of BA 206 is fully online in D2L. There are no required on-campus meetings. Each week you’ll work through modules that include short readings, videos, discussions, and applied assignments. There are clear due dates, but you have flexibility to complete the work on your own schedule. Plan to log in several times a week so you don’t fall behind.

What you’ll learn
This course is built around one big idea: we manage things; we lead people. We’ll look at:

• Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (POLC) – how managers set direction, organize work, and follow through.

• Conflict and performance – how to handle hard conversations with both empathy and accountability.

• Supervision and communication – building trust, recognizing strengths, and creating a team culture people want to be part of.

• Legal and policy basics – understanding key workplace responsibilities through a lens of fairness and EQ.

• Goals and productivity – setting meaningful goals and following through in a way that fits real life.

Throughout the term, we’ll connect these ideas to your current job, future career plans, or other leadership roles in your life.

Strengths, EQ, and real-world leadership
We don’t just talk theory. You’ll work with your CliftonStrengths results and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) tools to understand how you naturally lead, respond to stress, and show up in teams. The goal is to help you lead from your strengths while learning new skills for the harder parts of management.

What you’ll need
We’ll use two main books focused on practical leadership and EQ:

• Principles of Management

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0

(You can usually get better prices buying directly or online than through the bookstore.)

A bit about me
I’m Dr. Michael Hohn. I’ve spent over 25 years in leadership roles in business and higher education, including senior management positions at Rodgers Instruments, Safeco Insurance, and the California Farm Bureau. I’m a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and certified in EQ training through TalentSmartEQ, and I teach from a simple belief: we lead better when we focus on what’s strong, not just what’s wrong.

I also wasn’t a “perfect” student the first time around. I dropped out of college before coming back later, which is one reason I take your real life seriously and try to meet students where they are.

I live with three corgis—Oliver, Aubrie, and Selwyn—who are unofficial experts in chaos management and snack-based motivation.

If you’re ready to grow as a manager and leader, and learn how to bring out the best in yourself and others, I’d be glad to work with you in BA 206.

Dr. Hohn

Students will need to purchase access to the textbook (ebook) either from the PCC bookstore or directly from the publisher Flatworld Publishing.  Purchase of a new book will provide students access to the FlatWorld Homework Manager system where students will complete weekly assignments. 

Purchasing directly from the publisher will provide a cost savings.  The instructor will provide details via email on how to purchase directly from the publisher prior to the start of the term.